World Football Challenge

The World Football Challenge was an international club association football exhibition competition featuring club teams from Europe and North America, that was held from 2009 until 2012, when it was replaced by the International Champions Cup.[1]

World Football Challenge
Founded2009
Abolished2013
RegionCONCACAF
UEFA
Canada
United States (hosts)
Number of teamsVaries
Television broadcastersESPN
Univisión
Websitemlssoccer.com

History

The 2009 World Football Challenge was the first World Football Challenge event, featuring Chelsea from the Premier League in England, América from the Primera División de México in Mexico, and Internazionale and AC Milan from Serie A in Italy. Chelsea were the 2009 champions.[2]

The 2011 World Football Challenge was held in July and August 2011. It featured thirteen different squads meeting up in fourteen matches across the United States and Canada. The tournament format was a considerably different than the 2009 event, due to the increase in number of teams, including five MLS teams. Four of the MLS teams played one match at home while L.A. Galaxy played one match on their home pitch and one at the larger Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Real Madrid emerged as the World Football Challenge winners for 2011 with 17 points, narrowly edging-out Manchester United on goal differential.[3] The only European clubs to play against each other in this tournament were Juventus and Sporting CP. This was Sporting CP's only match in the exhibition.

The 2012 World Football Challenge was held in seven American and one Canadian stadium in July and August 2012. Eleven clubs competed from UEFA and CONCACAF. Real Madrid played the most matches and went undefeated.[4]

On April 15, 2013, it was announced that the International Champions Cup would be replacing the World Football Challenge.[5]

Winners
Tournament Winner Nation Runner-up Nation Third Nation
2009
Chelsea EnglandAmérica MexicoInternazionale Italy
2011
Real Madrid SpainManchester United EnglandManchester City England
2012
Real Madrid  Spain
n/a (changed to unbalanced format)

References
  1. "International Champions Cup to feature Galaxy, Real Madrid and Juventus". April 16, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  2. "The US tour has been concluded with the World Football Challenge bowl and a fourth win in four". Chelsea. chelseafc.com.
  3. "El Real Madrid se adjudica el World Football Challenge" [Real Madrid wins the World Football Challenge]. AS (in Spanish). AS.com.
  4. "WFC: Real Madrid top Celtic to finish US tour perfect". MLS. MLSSoccer.com.
  5. Wahl, Grant (April 15, 2013). "U.S. will host new International Champions Cup this summer". Sports Illustrated. SportsIllustrated.CNN.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
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